The one area in which Arizona seemingly needed no help from newcomers was the offensive line. The starters returned intact from last season, key backups were still around, and a trio of redshirt freshmen — Lene Maiava, Jacob Arzouman and Faitele Faafoi — was there to push the veterans.

You can see where this is going, especially if you were paying attention to the week 1 depth chart released Monday and heard what coach Rich Rodriguez said at his weekly press conference:

True freshman offensive lineman Cayman Bundage will play, and could start at left guard.

The starting part seems unlikely; the playing part does not.

“He’s fundamentally sound for a freshman,” said co-offensive coordinator Rod Smith. “He’s what we’re looking for in terms of work ethic, explosion. All those things you look for in a lineman, he’s got it.”

Including that intangible quality that is ever-present on the coaching staff’s mind — a “hard edge.”

“He may have it better than any lineman that we have, and he is a true freshman. He is not a real tall guy so he has a natural good leverage base when he comes off the ball. Cayman loves to play and he loves to be physical. He will play as a true freshman, and I’m pretty excited about his future.”

Bundage, from Douglass High School in Oklahoma City, is light for a major college guard (6-2, 265) but didn’t seem shocked by his early move up the depth chart and the chance to play in his first college game.

“I’m not too surprised because I have been here all summer working out with my teammates,” he said. “Coming in, I already knew what the standard was. We were working hard all summer. …

“Every day in practice, we try to practice like we play. From day one, just full speed. When I first came in, I was worried about how the tempo was going to be. I knew it was high. I got in here and just went hard.”

Looking a couple of seasons down the road, Arizona appears to be in good shape on the offensive line. Sophomore tackles Mickey Baucus and Fabbians Ebbele could end up being four-year starters. Maiava pushed for the starting job at right tackle and is in the rotation. Faafoi is listed as the second-string right guard. Bundage is behind Chris Putton at right guard.

Arzouman was in the playing rotation, too, Rodriguez said, until suffering a torn ACL early in camp.

Arizona has three other scholarship true freshman linemen who figure to redshirt — Beau Boyster, Zach Hemmila and T.D. Gross, a high school tight end who has the frame (6-6, 271) to develop into a physically imposing tackle.

NOTES
Bundage is the only true freshman on offense listed on the depth chart. Different story on defense, where four are listed as second-stringers — strongside linebacker Keoni Bush-Loo, middle linebacker/outside linebacker C.J. Dozier, “Bandit” safety Wayne Capers and free safety Jamar Allah.